About Ceramic Stoves

The history of Ceramic Stoves

Ceramic or Masonry stoves are usually referred to as Tile Stoves in the rest of Europe and Scandinavia, owing to their being conventionally tiled. This tiling has developed into an art form over the last 400 years. Tiling does not, however, have any effect on the efficiency of the stove, except for the addition of thermal mass, and is more an aesthetic consideration.

In 1767 the king of Sweden commissioned Baron Carl Johan Cronstedt and Baron Fabian Wrede to design stone heaters that would consume less wood. The result was the Swedish stoves that we see today.

Ceramic Stoves are found in many parts of Europe and Scandinavia, notably Bavaria, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Of these, the Scandinavian design is widely regarded as the most efficient.

In Eurasia, longer and colder winters made heating a matter of survival rather than comfort. In areas close to the Arctic Circle, the Ceramic Stove developed into a survival tool. It became a cooking appliance; you crawled inside to keep warm when washing and you slept on it. The inefficient open fireplace would have soon exhausted everyone, as it would have required too much wood and constant attention.